Colorado River Emergency Closure
Effective immediately, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has issued an emergency closure for all public access and downstream recreation on the Colorado River starting at James M. Robb-Colorado River State Park in Fruita and extending to the Utah state line. This closure is necessary for firefighter and public safety due to the Snyder Fire currently burning in McInnis Canyon. Learn more.
State Park in Eldorado Springs, CO
Hours:
Timed entry reservations needed Saturdays, Sundays and summer holidays May 1 through October 1.
Park: Daily, sunrise to sunset
Visitor Center: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Thursdays.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10-$15
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
Park Address:
9 Kneale Road
Eldorado Springs, CO 80025
United States
State Park in Eldorado Springs, CO
Hours:
Timed entry reservations needed Saturdays, Sundays and summer holidays May 1 through October 1.
Park: Daily, sunrise to sunset
Visitor Center: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Thursdays.
Entrance Fees:
Daily Vehicle Pass: $10-$15
Individual Daily Pass: $4
Animals Permitted:
Park Address:
9 Kneale Road
Eldorado Springs, CO 80025
United States
Parking Lot Closure -
Effective June 1, the North Picnic and Visitor Center Parking Lots will be closed nightly for essential utility work. All vehicles must be removed from the parking lots by 6 p.m. each day, as all access will be restricted. Please plan your visits accordingly.
Fire Restrictions -
The following restrictions are in effect due to historic drought and dry conditions: propane gas only, no wood or charcoal and no open fires. For more details, see Conditions.
Two people walking on a dirt trail
Eldorado Canyon is a hidden treasure right in Boulder’s backyard! Whether it’s hiking amidst the towering sandstone cliffs, picnicking along scenic South Boulder Creek or climbing Eldorado's sheer golden walls, Eldorado Canyon State Park truly has something for everyone. Discover this jewel and take home memories that will last a lifetime.
1,392
acres
80+
species of birds
11
picnic sites
17.1
miles of trails
Anyone accessing the park in their vehicle must have a Timed Entry Reservation to enter the park on Saturdays, Sundays, and summer holidays (Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day) from May 1 through October 1 annually. Timed Entry Reservations are only required for the inner canyon. Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead when visiting during peak user days.
Reservations are not required for those using the shuttle, walking, biking, or riding a horse. However, there is NO public parking in the town of Eldorado Springs, and a valid Colorado State Parks pass is still required for entry. To enter the park during this time will require two things:
There is no length-of-stay requirement. Once you enter the park, you may leave at any time. Entry and re-entry must be within your reserved 2-hour window.
A $10 daily entrance fee will be be charged at the Park Entrance Station for visitors who do not possess an annual Colorado State Parks Pass.
If you are still having issues, please call the Park Office at 303-494-3943 during regular business hours. No refunds for daily entrance fees will be issued once the transaction has been processed.
Eldorado Canyon is located at 9 Kneale Rd, Eldorado Springs, CO 80025.
Eldorado Canyon State Park is about thirty miles from Denver. Take I-25 north to State Highway 36, then go west toward Boulder. Exit at Louisville-Superior (you will also see signs for Eldorado Springs and Highway 170) and turn south (left) at the light. Follow signs to Eldorado Springs/Highway 170, turning right on Marshall Road/Highway 170. You will turn into the Superior Marketplace, as Highway 170 travels around the marketplace and eventually leads you 7.4 miles to Eldorado Canyon. Highway 170 deadends at the town of Eldorado Springs, and the road continues as a dirt road. The park is located at the end of the dirt road on the left.
Inner Canyon
For the inner canyon location, do not enter Eldorado Canyon State Park into your mapping app, it could route you to Crescent Meadows. Instead enter: 9 Kneale Road, Eldorado Springs CO 80025.
Cresent Meadows
For our Crescent Meadows location enter Crescent Meadows Trailhead into the mapping app.
A shuttle service is available from the city of Boulder into Eldorado Canyon. Visitors can access the park via shuttle bus on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The shuttle runs approximately every 20 minutes from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For a map of routes and stops, and more info, visit Boulder County's Eldo Shuttle. A reservation is NOT required to access the shuttle; however, you must possess a valid Colorado State Parks pass or pay $4 per person ages 16 and older.
The Eldorado Canyon Visitor Center is located 1 mile west of the park entrance on the west side of the park.
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Licenses and registrations will not be available for purchase on weekends or holidays from May 1 to October 1 annually.
Crescent Meadows is a separate, undeveloped part of the park located west of the inner canyon area.
Hiking
You can reach the Crescent Meadows area by hiking on the Eldorado Canyon Trail and Walker Ranch Loop (4.5 miles).
Driving from Boulder
You can also reach the trailhead by traveling west of Boulder on Flagstaff Road to Gross Dam Road. Go south on Gross Dam Road to the Crescent Meadows parking lot on the left.
May 1 to October 1
With a timed vehicle reservation, you are guaranteed parking within the park. However, it may not be located near your chosen trailhead or access point. There is no parking in the town of Eldorado Springs.
October 1 to May 1
The park often reaches vehicle parking capacity on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. If the park is at capacity, entry may be denied.
Fire Restrictions in Effect - The following restrictions are enacted due to historic drought and dry conditions.
Parking Lot Closure - Effective June 1, the North Picnic and Visitor Center Parking Lots will be closed nightly for essential utility work. All vehicles must be removed from the parking lots by 6 p.m. each day, as all access will be restricted. Please plan your visits accordingly.
Pass |
Description |
Duration |
Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Daily Vehicle Pass |
Single vehicle and its occupants with Colorado license plate |
1 Day |
$10-$12 |
|
Daily Vehicle Pass |
Single vehicle and its occupants with out-of-state license plate |
1 Day |
$15-$17 |
|
Individual Daily Pass |
For individual entry on foot, bicycle, horseback, etc at select parks |
1 Day |
$4 |
|
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for Colorado residents |
12 Months |
$29 |
|
|
Annual Vehicle Pass (Affixed) |
Pass for a single vehicle and its occupants |
12 Months |
$80 |
|
Family Annual Pass (Hang Tag) |
Members of the same household |
12 Months |
$120 |
|
Aspen Leaf Annual Pass |
Colorado residents 64+ |
12 Months |
$70 |
|
Centennial Pass |
Income-eligible Colorado residents |
12 Months |
$14 |
|
Columbine Pass |
Colorado residents with disabilities |
12 Months |
$14 |
|
Veterans License Plate |
DMV vehicle registration renewal option for military veterans (disabled veterans or purple heart plates) |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Independence Lifetime Pass |
Colorado resident veterans with disabilities |
Lifetime |
Free |
|
Blue Spruce Pass |
Colorado resident first responders with disabilities |
Lifetime |
$10 |
Mule deer, elk, black bear, bobcat, red fox, coyote and mountain lion inhabit the foothills in and around Eldorado Canyon. The park's areas near water, called riparian habitats, act as corridors for animals to move through. Large populations of bats breed in the caves in the inner canyon.
Over 80 species of migratory and resident birds have been recorded for this area, including raptors, songbirds and waterfowl. Golden eagles, red-tailed hawks and prairie falcons nest within and around the park. Seasonal closures of some climbing routes are enforced to protect raptor nesting sites.
Bird, plant and wildlife guides are available at the park book store or on Eldorado Canyon State Park's iNaturalist app observations for Android and iPhone. iNaturalist is a free online social network and citizen science platform that allows users to record and share observations of biodiversity. By uploading photos or sounds of wild organisms, you can get help identifying species from a global community of naturalists and even an automated identification tool. Using iNaturalist helps you learn about local nature, connect with other enthusiasts, and most importantly, contribute valuable scientific data to biodiversity research and conservation efforts worldwide.
Be on the Lookout for Birds
Can you spot all resident and visiting species? Download the Bird List Brochure (PDF).
View a short video and tips on watching wildlife safely and find important information on crossing paths with wildlife.
The park is lacking vital data on amphibian and reptile populations. By logging your reptile and amphibian observations into Eldorado Canyon State Park's iNaturalist app, you'll help us collect data that's essential for protecting and preserving the Park's natural resources.
Eldorado Canyon's cliffs and slopes reveal the area's complex geology. The canyon's steep walls offer top-notch rock climbing routes, thanks to the dramatic relief and natural fractures exposing near-vertical rock faces. South Boulder Creek, the primary water feature, carved the cliffs during Front Range uplift. Other tributary drainages include Rattlesnake Gulch, South Draw, Johnson Gulch and an unnamed one north of Johnson Gulch. The park features ridges of erosion-resistant rock forming hogbacks, and linear geologic features show folding and faulting.
In the Crescent Meadow area, Precambrian Boulder Creek Granite is exposed and underlies formations in the Inner Canyon. A quartzite dike near Rattlesnake Gulch trailhead forms Quartzite Ridge and Supremacy Rock. Paleozoic Lyons and Fountain Sandstones, tilted by uplifted Boulder Creek Granite into flatirons, appear in the Inner Canyon. Fountain Sandstone is visible in formations known to climbers as Bastille, Wind Ridge, Redgarden, West Ridge, Peanuts and Rincon. Lyons Sandstone is visible in the feature known as Rotwand in the Inner Canyon.
Eldorado Canyon State Park includes 1,488 acres located in the unique ecological zone between the grasslands of the plains and the forests of Front Range foothills. The two main areas in the park are the Inner Canyon and Crescent Meadows. Elevations range from 5,800 to 8,800 feet.
Eldorado exemplifies the diversity of vegetation types found in Colorado’s Front Range foothills. Many factors attribute to this diversity, including the park’s varied topography, soils, microclimates of the canyon and, specifically, its location in the ecotone between mixed grass prairie and montane woodland.
Nearly barren rock outcrops and cliffs support lichen and moss communities. Ponderosa pine and Rocky Mountain juniper are the dominant trees, and commonly associated species include mountain mahogany, skunkbrush, currant, kinnikinnick, goldaster and beard-tongue. Dominant grass species include little bluestem, blue and side-oats grama, needle-and-thread grass, pine dropseed, prairie Junegrass, western wheatgrass, purple three-awn and smooth brome. One rare plant association, Douglas-fir/river birch, occurs in the northeast corner of Crescent Meadows. Riparian and wetland communities, though limited, are found along South Boulder Creek tributary drainages and on seeps and springs. Plains and narrowleaf cottonwood, Rocky Mountain maple, boxelder, chokecherry and American plum dominate riparian communities. Wetland communities are characterized by a number of shrubby willow species, Nebraska and aquatic sedge, Arctic rush and grass species.
No Results.
There are no results to display at this time.
No Results.
There are no results to display at this time.
The Ute Native American tribes who lived in the mountains of Colorado and Utah came to Eldorado Canyon often to enjoy the warm springs for health and spiritual renewal. A few arrowheads and artifacts remain, though most were removed before Eldorado Canyon became a state park.
Although Eldorado Canyon has passed through many changes and attracted many thousands of visitors, its rugged beauty, unique resources and healing atmosphere have always inspired a special love and respect.
